Waking the dead

There's yet another benefit concert coming up in Minneapolis, but this one boasts an unusual venue – Pioneers and Solders Cemetery. Two local acts will perform at the Cedar-Lake landmark on Oct. 8, and one of them can even boast a connection with the graveyard. That's Jeremy Messersmith, the chamber popster whose " The Reluctant Graveyard" album last year was inspired by the stories of some of the Pioneers and Soldiers inhabitants. He'll be joined by Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles, a sextet combining Americana and hot club jazz. The benefit will raise money for the ongoing restoration of the steel fence surrounding the burial ground and the limestone pillars that support it. The 1.4 million project is key to preserving the city-owned cemetery, which started in 1853 and remains the city's oldest. Gates open at 1 p.m. with the Lapelles performing at 2 p.m. and Messersmith at 4 p.m. There's a smart phone history hunt covering the cemetery's legacy, with a kid-level hunt offered as well. Food and bike parking will be available. The cemetery is at 2925 Cedar Av. S. Tickets and more info on the cemetery are available at www.friendsofthecemetery.org, and also on sale at Electric Fetus, Hymie's Vintage Records, and Treehouse Records.